(Toronto) A FIFA delegation concluded its visits to the 2026 World Cup candidate cities with a stop in Toronto on Monday, having already seen Canadian soccer in a context very similar to that of winter in Edmonton .
“It was very cold but the atmosphere was very warm,” said Colin Smith, FIFA Tournaments and Events Manager, of Edmonton, where his squad saw the Canadians beat Mexico 2-1 last Tuesday, ” in front of an announced crowd of 44,212 people at Commonwealth Stadium.
“To have the passion of the crowd in these conditions was just fantastic. It shows the support there is for the sport in Canada. ”
Good words were also sent to Toronto, the other Canadian candidate city, during a press conference at the X Hotel, near BMO Field.
Victor Montagliani, a Vancouver native who is also CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President, called Toronto’s presentation – coming in part from MLSE President Larry Tanenbaum – “very thorough and excellent”.
“It not only saw the basic requirements (to host the event) but also the history of soccer in this city and the diversity of the city,” said Montagliani.
Following this visit to Canada, the FIFA delegation visited 22 cities with a total of 23 sites: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York / New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, the San Francisco area, Seattle and Washington, as well as Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey.
The 2026 tournament has been expanded to 48 teams (previously 32), with 80 games in total. The plan is for Canada and Mexico to host 10 games each and the United States 60, including all games from the quarter-finals.
The number of host cities was initially set at 16, but Smith said the final number has yet to be defined.
The selection process is expected to be finalized in April.
The city of Montreal withdrew in July. This followed a decision by the provincial government to withdraw support, citing cost overruns that would have been difficult to justify to taxpayers.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan then said his province was ready to “consider” the possibility of hosting games in Vancouver.
When asked about Vancouver’s status, Montagliani remained vague.
“I know the premier of British Columbia has shown some interest and it is great,” he said. But for the moment, we are dealing with the players present, not those who are not part of the team. ”
The Lions Stadium was in heavy demand during the 2015 Women’s World Cup, hosting nine matches, including the final.
Visits to Candidate Cities cover site management, infrastructure and sustainability, as well as business, legal and heritage issues.
They also include inspections of stadiums and training facilities.
If BMO Field is selected, the stadium would have temporary seats to bring it up to FIFA’s minimum capacity of 45,000 people.